A judge has approved multi-million-pound payouts for 16 people who were injured in the bombing at Ariana Grande’s Manchester Arena concert.
According to NME, a total of £20 million ($26.7 million) will be distributed among the 16 victims, all of whom were under the age of 16 in 2017. Individual payments range from £2,770 to £11.4 million ($3,707 to $15.2 million).
The identities of the victims and their families remain protected under a court order. Some of the concertgoers suffered life-altering physical injuries, while others continue to live with severe psychological trauma.
“Each of these cases has a common link, that is injuries and loss suffered, arising out of a single and unimaginable act of terrorism committed on the evening of May 22, 2017 at the end of a concert attended by very many young people and their families,” Judge Nigel Bird said, per the outlet.
“Twenty-two innocent lives were lost, and the lives of countless others impacted. The love and care a parent gives to an injured child is beyond monetary value.”
On May 22, 2017, a suicide bomber carried out an attack in the foyer of the AO Arena shortly after Grande’s concert ended. ISIS later claimed responsibility for the bombing.
As previously noted by the judge, 22 people were killed and 1,017 others were injured. The tragedy also led Grande to develop PTSD, a condition she publicly revealed in 2018.
A formal investigation into the attack began in September 2020 and later found that there were missed opportunities that could have prevented the bombing.
Damages will be paid by venue operator SMG Europe Holdings, crowd management firm Showsec International Ltd, Greater Manchester Police, and British Transport Police. All four organizations have issued apologies to survivors and the families of those who lost their lives.
